


Get out of my face, Potter

by eliocentrica



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Harry Potter, Despair, Drug Abuse, Gen, Minor Original Character(s), Muggle London, Unhappy Ending, unsolicited help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:20:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27048604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliocentrica/pseuds/eliocentrica
Summary: Harry moved closer to see if Malfoy was conscious but he stepped on something that cracked under his weight. He removed his foot and found a broken glass syringe.“Fuck” Harry swore.****“Malfoy, you were going to die!” Harry took a deep breath and then spoke calmly. “Why are you doing this? It's so out of character for you.”“I'm not some victim you need to save, Potter.” Draco backed away again. “Leave me the fuck alone!” with one last yell, Draco Disapparated.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter
Kudos: 1





	Get out of my face, Potter

Harry was woken in the middle of the night by a fire call. One of the informants of the DMLE alerted him of a situation.

He dressed up quickly with a jumper, jeans, boots and a leather jacket and Apparated out of his flat in Greenwich and into a back alley in Peckham. The trail Harry had started following recently was completely off the books, so he didn't even involve his partner.

He didn't even talk about it to Ron. He didn't want to hear that his fixation on Malfoy was making another appearance after five years or so since the Battle of Hogwarts. And he most certainly didn't talk about it to Hermione, even if her help would have been invaluable in speeding up the tracking of this person of interest.

This is where Muggle-born informants were particularly useful to Harry—they could keep an eye on Muggle neighbourhoods. The petty thief told him about a certain Pureblood drinking himself stupid in a small pub and Harry just had to see for himself.

It was a working class area, the pub was named “Bull's Head” and it smelled like many individuals had taken a piss on the wall. It looked like only the wrong sort of people felt welcome. It was difficult to imagine Malfoy in there.

Harry eyed the building from the outside and surreptitiously cast a detection spell for any magic trace. Only one came up. _It must be him_ , he thought. It was good intelligence he received this time. He pushed the heavy wooden door and walked into the establishment.

A strong smell of smoke attacked his nose and it took him a few moments to take in his surroundings.

It was a tiny dimly-lit space. Directly in front of him there was a bar with metal stools, half of which were occupied by hunchbacked patrons nursing their drinks. On the right were a couple of unoccupied booths. On the left, there was a TV with an old World Cup football match on, it was black and white. Judging by the yelling of some middle-aged man standing in front of it, it was likely a replay of the one and only England victory, which they were rehashing.

No sign of a platinum blond head, though.

Harry sighed, thinking maybe his informant had mistaken some other drunk wizard for their target. He was about to turn around and leave when Malfoy walked out of a door behind the bar, pulling the sleeve of his shirt down his left arm. They both froze in place when their eyes met.

Before Harry could say anything, Malfoy disappeared into the room at the back, slamming the door. The noise attracted the attention of the bartender, who then eyed Harry warily.

The bartender was a tall broad man with a surly air about him. He asked in a raspy voice “Did you want a pint or summat?”

Harry approached him cautiously and pointing to the door he said “I was just looking for my mate.”

“Well, he's gone now” the bartender replied. “You can get out the same way you came in.”

Harry understood that he wasn't going to pull any information regarding Malfoy out of this man without magic, which wasn't an option because of the Status of Secrecy. So he walked out to the dark empty alley.

He kicked his foot against the door to release some frustration. Now that Malfoy knew he was onto him, it was going to be more difficult finding out why the Pureblood heir had vanished from wizarding society.

~*~

The next day, at the end of his shift at the Auror's Office, Harry Apparated near his building and stopped at Tesco to buy dinner. As he was walking out of the shop, he caught a glimpse of platinum blond hair walking into the pub on the other side of the street.

The odds that it was actually Malfoy were against him, considering that the trail only started warming up a couple of week prior and that the previous night was the only time he was able to confirm sight.

Nonetheless Harry Vanished his Meal Deal and walked into The Mad Hatter. The bartender gave him a nod. He was a thirty-something year-old Indian man. He knew Harry from the many times he went for a pint to unwind after a stressful day at the DMLE. It was nice to leave the wizarding world behind and just be a random bloke from time to time.

Harry approached the bar, searching the main room for blond hair.

“Hi there, Harry!”

“Hi Darun, you alright?” Harry asked the bartender cordially.

“The usual?” Darun asked.

“Uhm, actually...” Harry continued glancing around, “I think I saw an old mate from school coming in just now. I would really like to catch up but I don't see him.”

“Is it a tall blond lad you're looking for?” Darun enquired while pouring a blond ale.

“Yeah, he looks a bit posh too” Harry confirmed.

Darun put down the pint of ale and started pouring a half-pint of Guinness. “Tell you what, you can bring this to your mate and have drink with him. He's in the private room downstairs and he asked to be left alone unless it was to bring more to drink.”

Harry paid for the beers and headed downstairs. It wasn't ideal to have both his hands occupied and face Malfoy without a wand at the ready. But then, he had made much more idiotic choices in the past, so he'll just wing it this time as well.

He kicked open the swing door to the private room, hoping to catch Malfoy by surprise. Instead, he found the blond sprawled on the cushioned bench behind the table. He didn't react to Harry's entrance.

Harry placed the glasses on the table and peered over it to take a better look at Malfoy's face. There were dark circles around his eyes and his pupils were completely dilated. A bit of saliva was dropping from the side of his mouth. He looked like he was high.

Harry moved closer to see if Malfoy was conscious but he stepped on something that cracked under his weight. He removed his foot and found a broken glass syringe.

“Fuck” Harry swore, his heart suddenly slamming in his chest. He couldn't bring Malfoy to St. Mungo's in this state, the papers would go crazy. Besides, the Mediwitches and Mediwizards wouldn't know how to treat an overdose from Muggle drugs. He didn't know of any private Healer who also dubbed in regular medicine either.

The only choice left was to bring him to A&E, so he grabbed Malfoy's limp body and Apparated away.

~*~

Malfoy woke up feeling every muscle in his body aching. The nausea was also strong, probably due to the pervasive smell of disinfectant.

He was lying on a metal bed. There was a monitor next to him, beeping along his heartbeat. He didn't take long to realise that he was in a Muggle hospital.

He tried to get up but his head started spinning and he was going to retch, so he laid down again. He decided to look around before trying again.

There was a window but it was covered in black curtains to block out the first morning light. There was a soft yellow light coming from a sconce next to the headboard of his bed. There was someone sitting on a chair at the foot of his bed.

The light wasn't bright enough for him to be sure that it was Harry Fucking Potter sitting there asleep. But it sure looked like him, if the unruly mass of raven hair was anything to go by.

The memory of his last waking moment came back to him. He had walked into a random pub and asked for a private room and a beer. When he was left alone, he took the syringe out of his jacket and finally shot it up his arm. He must have lost consciousness and the bartender must have called for the Muggle medics.

This accounted for his current whereabouts. But it still didn't make sense that Potter was in his hospital room asleep.

He needed to leave before Potter woke up.

He summoned what little strength left he had in him and sat up on the bed. His head spun for a few seconds, but he focussed on Potter to ground himself. He slowly slid down the bed and realised he was wearing a hospital gown. He was also barefoot and the floor was cold. And where the fuck was his wand?

He swore internally. He couldn't go back to the Manor wandless and dressed like that, especially if his Mother had noticed his absence. Which could have been for longer than one night. He had no idea how much time had passed since his last high.

Draco noticed a small wardrobe next to the door and thought perhaps his wand and clothes were in there. The trick was walking through the narrow space between the bed and the chair without waking up Potter, and then get dressed and Disapparate.

He tried his luck but he should have known he had run out of it many years ago, because the moment he put his trousers on, holding his wand between his teeth, Potter woke up.

Their eyes met and before Harry could make a move, Draco Disapparated with a pop.

~*~

A week passed before Harry received another fire call in the night from his informant. This time, he asked the thief about the Bull's Head. He learnt that it was a front for a drug dealing activity. The bartender was the lookout and a dealer called The Chemist had an office in the back.

This time Harry was prepared when heading there.

He Apparated back into the alley in Peckham and waited for Malfoy to come out. It was dark enough that he didn't think to use a Disillusionment Charm. The less magic he used, the least Malfoy would be able to sense him.

Luckily, Harry didn't have to wait long. After about a half hour a blond man came out of the door dragging his feet and stumbling.

Malfoy propped his back on the outer wall of the building, his head hanging low. He was gripping his left elbow with his right hand.

When he collapsed on the pavement, Harry moved closer to check on him. “Malfoy... Can you hear me?”

Harry crouched down and shook him. “MALFOY!” Draco's head lulled from side to side and he groaned.

“Malfoy! What the fuck are you doing to yourself?” Harry was increasingly worried and tried shaking him again. The blond wizard was suddenly brought back to reality and stood up quickly, bumping their heads together in the process.

“Get out of my face, Potter” Draco slurred his words, fumbling with his jacket, probably to grab his wand.

Harry restrained his wrists with a light Incarcerous spell. This caught Draco's attention.

“What are you trying to do, Potter?” Draco asked venomously, focussing into Harry's eyes.

“I'm trying to find out what in the bloody hell is happening to you.” Harry retorted.

“Well, now that you've found out, you can leave me to it” Draco started struggling with his arms to break the spell, channelling his inner magic.

“No, I'm not going to _leave you to it_. I'm going to fix it!” Harry stated resolutely, taking a step back.

“And what are you going to do about it?” Draco sneered looking up.

“For starters, I'm going to clean you up. Then we're going to talk about it.” Harry said and swiftly cast a diagnostic spell. When he confirmed that there were drugs in Draco's system, he also cast a cleansing spell he learnt from a Mediwitch during one of his numerous 'visits' to St. Mungo's while carrying out his job.

Malfoy immediately felt more present and he calculated Harry before speaking in a clear voice, “You just wasted fifty quids with that cleansing spell.”

“I didn't think money was an issue for you.” Harry sneered. “I'll be sure to reimburse you as soon as I'll be certain you're not going to spend it the same way.”

Harry was unsure about how to handle the situation. He couldn't very well just kidnap Malfoy and check him into rehab.

These few moments of hesitation cost him his wand. Malfoy snatched it out of his hand and removed the Incarcerous spell before tossing Harry's wand away and bringing his own out of his jacket.

“Why are you following me?” Draco questioned, wand raised threateningly.

“You disappeared. There were no news about you travelling out of the country. You weren't featured anymore in the paper for your extravagant parties with your Pureblood friends. You don't have a job to show up for. You vanished from the Manor, according to your probation Auror.” Harry listed. “I had to find you!”

“Why you? Was my appointed Auror sacked?” Draco pressed on.

“No. He's looking for you as well. He's not been successful because he's only looking in some places while I'm looking everywhere.” Harry moved his arms in a wide motion to indicate the Muggle neighbourhood.

“How very smart of you,” Draco mocked him. There was a pause but he had more questions. “How did you find me in the hospital?”

“Find you? I Apparated you there from the pub myself!” Harry was taken aback. He hadn't realised that Draco didn't remember seeing him at The Mad Hatter.

If Draco was bothered but this revelation, he didn't show it. Instead, he kept on asking “How did you find me in the pub?”

“Lucky coincidence. I was passing by and I saw you get in.”

“You seem to spend an awful lot of time out in Muggle London, looking for me.”

“Well, I wouldn't have to if you weren't out here... wasting your life away!” Harry yelled.

“What the fuck do you know about my life?” Draco turned aggressive and took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

“I know that I had to Apparate you to a Muggle hospital because you were overdosing. And I don't understand it.” Harry replied honestly.

“What's there to understand? I like to get high. I can't do it with potions because people talk.” Draco said matter-of-factly.

“Malfoy, you were going to die!” Harry took a deep breath and then spoke calmly. “Why are you doing this? It's so out of character for you.”

“I'm not some victim you need to save, Potter.” Draco backed away again. “Leave me the fuck alone!” with one last yell, Draco Disapparated.

Harry picked up his wand from the pavement shaking his head, and Disapparated as well.

~*~

Draco abruptly woke up with a scream, drenched in sweat. He franctically looked around to see if he was in any danger.

His bedroom at the Manor was filled with sunshine, coming in from the windows, curtains drawn. Rationally, he knew that the wards were strong and there was nobody around—his Mother and Father had moved to a Black estate in France for the summer. That's the only reason why he went back to spend some time at the Manor.

His head was throbbing and his left arm was aching. His throat was sore. He must have had another nightmare. At least he didn't remember what it was about.

“Fispy!” he called for a house elf. “Bring me a pain relief potion.” He ordered while getting out of bed and walking into his en-suite bathroom to take a shower.

When he emerged clean and fully dressed, the pain relief was waiting for him on his nightstand so he downed it.

There was also lunch waiting for him on his desk, but he ignored it and walked straight to the fireplace.

“Gringott's” he enunciated tossing a fistful of Floo powder.

He came out on the other side at Gringott's private entry hall. One of the perks of being the heir of an ancient Pureblood family.

He walked straight to a goblin clerk to make his request. “I would like to withdraw a thousand galleons and convert it in pounds.”

After a short wait, he received an envelope in his hands and Floo'ed back to Malfoy Manor.

His left arm was already starting to hurt again.

He dropped the envelope on his desk. His lunch was still there, preserved with a warming charm. He still ignored it and dropped face first onto his mattress to suppress a moan of pain.

He turned to his side and grabbed his wand from his pocket. He looked at his Dark Mark. It didn't look like the fucker was affected at all by his drug use. He cast the diagnostic spell he saw Potter cast the previous night. It showed that his arm was starting to get clogged.

It was time for a change of substance to poison himself with. The high was more and more difficult to catch every time and this was only going to make him slowly sick.

~*~

Draco went back to the Bull's Head that night, but didn't ask to see the Chemist this time. He sat on a barstool and drained drink after drink. The night went on around him but he wasn't paying much attention to what was going on. He was trying hard to drown himself in alcohol and get numb.

He had just been outside to take a piss, when he sensed someone digging a hole at the back of his head with their eyes. He turned around from the bar to see who was stupid enough to pick a fight with him.

“Get out of my face, Potter” said Draco in an annoyed drawl, nursing his third glass of Jack Daniels.

When Harry made no motion to walk away, Draco turned his back on him and tried to ignore him.

After releasing a loud sigh, Harry said “C'mon, Malfoy... this isn't good for you. I'll App—I mean, I'll walk you home.” He grabbed the blond man's shoulder to spin him on the barstool so he would face the door.

Draco shot daggers with his eyes and shrugged Harry's hands off himself. He had already told Potter to get lost a few times now. He wasn't going hold off the upcoming fight this time.

“I. Said. Get. Out. Of my. Face!” Draco pushed off the barstool forcing Harry to take a few steps back.

“Or what?” Harry quirked an eyebrow.

“Or I'll ruin your pretty face” Draco countered towering over him and clenching his fist without raising his arms.

Looking up into silver eyes, Harry smirked “My _pretty_ face? You think I have a pretty face, eh?”

Draco grabbed Harry by the throat and threw him a few feet away towards the door. “Why do you always have to read more into things than there actually is?”

He walked a couple of steps to invade Harry's personal space again. “I told you to leave me alone.” He poked Harry's chest. “I don't need you to save me.” He barked, staring into emerald eyes.

“I'm not your Savior, Malfoy. I just don't think this” his hands moved around to indicate the dingy pub they where standing in, “is doing any good to you.”

“What the fuck would you know about what's good for me?” Draco asked in a scornful tone.

“Why don't we take this outside and discuss it further? We're making quite the scene in here.” Harry said in a low voice.

Draco glanced around and noticed that the few drunken patrons still present were all watching their altercation. The bartender was definitely not happy about the racket and Draco didn't want any issues with him.

“You're not worth my time. I'm leaving.” Draco said coldly and walked out of the pub without giving Harry one more look.

If he weren't drunk, Draco would never have let his back open to Harry's move, and he would have realised that Harry wasn't going to just drop the matter.

Draco was quickly followed out into the dimly-lit street and then grabbed by the jacket and Apparated away.

He found himself in an old town house. The drawing room they were standing in was decorated in a dark Victorian style. After the first moment of shock caused by a sudden kidnapping by none other than the Boy-Who-Lived, he whipped out his wand and pointed it at Harry.

“Where are we?” he asked trying not to appear disoriented.

“At my house. 12 Grimmauld Place” Harry answered backing away.

“And why did you think it would be a good idea to take me here?” Draco hissed.

“We have a private conversation to finish and it's really late...” Harry replied glancing at the wooden grandfather clock standing next to the stone fireplace. The hands showed that it was around 3:30 AM. “I didn't think it would be a good idea to stay out in Muggle London to talk.”

“Talk? You think we're going to talk now?” Draco scoffed. “Get the fuck out of my way” he said raising his wand to cast a spell, but Harry was quicker and ducked out of the way before the red jet could hit him.

Draco cast a Protego, expecting to be counter-struck, and started for the corridor.

“Wait!” Harry shouted, without moving or drawing his wand.

Draco sneered. “Unless you're going to disarm, restrain and then cage me, there's really no other way you're making me stay.”

Harry gave him a piercing look, as if internally debating whether he should do just that.

“You see” Draco continued, thinking it was time he gave a lecture to the Golden Boy and maybe this way he would be left alone. “I realise that you don't like what I've become, but you can't save my soul. After everything I endured under the Dark Lord's command and with _dear_ Aunt Bellatrix, there's really nothing I care about.

“I've avoided Azkaban, but I'm carrying the sign of my sins on my skin every day. At least out there in the Muggle world nobody's aware. And I'm enjoying the freedom that comes with it.

Draco paused for a moment and then finished his speech coldly “So now that you understand... get out of my face!”

He waited just one heartbeat before turning on his heals and heading out of the town house. “I don't need you to save me” he whispered to himself before Apparating away.

Harry didn't follow him. During his past four years at the DMLE, he learnt what a lost cause was.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Hinder "Save Me". Unbeta'ed but I tried to polish it as much as I could on my own.
> 
> Thank you for reading. :) If you feel like it, let me know if you enjoyed this fic or what are your thoughts on it.


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